Defective lateral??

[Jenintexas]

I'm wondering whether my lateral is defective. The spaces/holes are evenly spaced and it appears to have been mfg this way, but seems sand would just go right through it... This may explain why we are getting loads of sand blown into the pool. Have any of you seen a lateral like this? Am I correct that it should not have these holes or am I missing something? TIA, everyone! JiT

 

[JVTrain]

The only lateral hubs (the black part) that I have seen in my two filters I've owned did not have any perforations in that part of the filter. Only the slots in the laterals. Seems like a poor idea to put those holes there. I'd plug them up with silicone or a fast setting epoxy.